Dodger Stadium to host Ducks-Kings rivalry

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The NHL formally announced Monday what has been in the works for weeks: The Kings will play host to the Ducks in a regular-season outdoor game at Dodger Stadium next season.

Reported by the Register and other media outlets last month, the first outdoor game involving two league teams to take place west of the Mississippi River will occur Jan. 25, 2014 at 7 p.m. It'll be the first contest played among the elements for both teams.

In a statement, Commissioner Gary Bettman said “the Ducks and the Kings will write the next chapter in the exciting story of NHL hockey in Southern California.”

“At a venue that represents so much glorious sports history, this matchup of Stanley Cup champions will raise our outdoor initiatives to bold, new heights. We know the game will be a treat for our fans,” Bettman continued.

The game is among six outdoor contests in 2013-14 that the league is calling the Stadium Series. The Ducks and Kings never have been part of the Winter Classic, which has become a New Year's Day fixture and piqued the interest of many teams wanting to bring it to their city.

The Kings have long been one to covet a Winter Classic, but Bettman previously had been resistant to the idea of holding it in a traditionally warm-weather climate.

But the 45-year-old franchise does have history with outdoor hockey. In 1991, the Kings hosted the New York Rangers in an exhibition game in Las Vegas. It was played in front of more than 13,000 at a temporary rink in the Caesars Palace parking lot.

“This is a credit to our fans and the amazing support they have shown to us and the NHL these past few years,” Kings president of business operations Luc Robitaille said. “This will be a sporting event like no other that has ever been seen in Southern California and we are proud to be a part of it.”

It is a rare regular-season spotlight event for the Ducks, who have opened seasons overseas on three occasions but have yet to host an All-Star Game or the NHL entry draft in Anaheim.

“We are honored to be selected to participate in the NHL's Stadium Series,” Ducks GM Bob Murray said. “Playing our rival Kings at historic Dodger Stadium will be a terrific showcase event for our sport.

“A Southern California outdoor hockey game in a picturesque setting will be an exciting, unique experience, and we look forward to being a part of it.”

The game is also a nod to the growth of hockey in the area.

Young hockey players born and raised in Southern California are beginning to rise through the ranks to the NHL. Nashville's Jonathon Blum became the first California-born player to be selected in the first round of the draft in 2007.

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